Allotments 4 All

Hi!
Am attempting to grow caulis again, even though they were were rubbish last year, and they're very hard to do!  I sowed seed in an old bath in beautiful soil/compost mix, along with other brassic.as  They look big enough to plant out out,and healthy, except that some of the leaves have turned a very attractive reddish-brown colour.  They're not shrivelled or wilting or anything.  What, if anything, might be the problem please?

The colour may just be simply down to the variety!

What variety are they?

Otherwise they might have just been affected by the cold / cool nights we have had lately!

Quotethey're very hard to do!  I sowed seed in an old bath in beautiful soil/compost mix, along with other brassicas

They are not really hard to do I think your problem is; is when you transplant them!

I see you are using a 'nursery bed' technique.

I find this is not a very good technique for caulies, cabbabe & sprouts OK but not Cauli!

Caulies don't like root disturbance so I find pricking them out just as you see the first true leaves appearing above the seed leaves is the best time to move them.

I prick them out into 3" pots and grow them on until the are of a size fit to plant out.

Another thing don't tread them in at planting time, flood them in with water this does all the compaction that is necessary ( at least I find it does  ::) ) as you can see here;

That's a fantastic cauli TGee!  And thanks for the tips about potting on-I'll try to remember next year....

Have they been planted out recently? Some of my brassicas are turning a reddish colour, but they've been in a shaded mini-greenhouse, they've been planted out, and they're having to cope with a suddent increase in the light.

I came across two cabbages that i had missed today which are just like you describe nothing wrong with them other than the color but i found they were pot bound.so i would assume that they just run out of minerals, possibly both Magnesium and Nitrogen, i do know that with magnesium deficiency does turn leaves reddish as well as yellow.
The problem may with you growing in the bath Gwynneth with a mix that is to fine and the minerals are being washed out.

Quote

Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on June 15, 2011, 17:42:47
Have they been planted out recently? Some of my brassicas are turning a reddish colour, but they've been in a shaded mini-greenhouse, they've been planted out, and they're having to cope with a suddent increase in the light.

The same may aply to you Robert if they had been in to much shade they would have got drawn

Could be, but I usd to see cacti doing the same thing every spring, and shading them solved the problem. The Greyhound I planted out today were quite purple, the All the Year Round caulis which were next to them aren't.